Cayuga Co. tries to speed Mental Health move

Cayuga County legislators met tonight to bring all parties on board with a plan to move the county's Mental Health Department into Auburn Memorial Hospital.

They set a tentative goal of having the state Office of Mental Health approve plans by the end of May. Ideally, design and construction would be done by the end of 2009.

"There's joint cooperation to try and resolve this as quickly as possible," said Ann Petrus, R- Brutus, chair of the Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee.

Crowded conditions at Auburn's Historic Post Office, one of three sites currently occupied by the Mental Health Department, have led the state to withhold $2,820 a day from the county in financial aid since the end of October.

Employees from Holt Architects, Auburn Memorial Hospital and the state Office of Mental Health met with legislators tonight. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss what information was needed for the planning process to move forward quickly.

Tentative plans include renovating three empty floors of the hospital to fit the mental health offices currently located on North Street, at the Carr Building and the Historic Post Office. The location would provide better parking and accessibility for patients, legislators said.

A follow-up meeting has not been set yet. One is expected to be held within two weeks, if not sooner, Petrus said.